The German counterintelligence (BfV) suffered a defeat in court. The administrative court in Cologne decided on Thursday that the authorities may not label the opposition party Alternative for Germany (AfD) as demonstrably right-wing extremist for the time being.
German counter-intelligence may not label the Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party as a demonstrably right-wing extremist organization, the administrative court in Cologne decided on Thursday. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the Reuters and AFP agencies.
- The court banned labeling the AfD party as extremist.
- Counterintelligence does not have broader powers against the AfD.
- The court’s decision caused strong reactions in Germany.
- The AfD claims that this is a victory for democracy.
- The USA also demanded the removal of the AfD designation as extremist.
The party challenged the designation of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), which would, for example, give the counterintelligence wider powers in its monitoring in court in May 2025. Due to the decision of the administrative court, the BfV cannot label the AfD as extremist until the final decision is issued.
The court rejected the label
“After the examination in the framework of the abbreviated procedure, it is currently not possible to demonstrate that the applicant as a whole (AfD party, note TASR) is dominated by the above-mentioned positions,” explained the court.
The decision of the Federal Office to designate the AfD in May 2025 as a demonstrably right-wing extremist organization provoked strong reactions in Germany. Calls for a total ban on the party began to emerge in society, as well as claims that such a label was an attack on German democracy.
The reaction of the AfD and the USA
AfD co-chair Alice Weidel called Thursday’s court decision a victory for democracy. “A great victory not only for the AfD, but also for democracy and the rule of law,” she wrote on the X social network, saying that the decision “threw a log under the feet of the fanatics” who are trying to ban the party.
At one time, the administration of US President Donald Trump also commented on the designation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last year called on the German authorities to withdraw the designation of the AfD as right-wing extremist.
